


licorice

by Ghovls



Series: days of candy [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Feelings, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Skateboarding, Summer of Love - Freeform, falling off your skateboard, hanging out in the seven eleven parking lot like proper teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 03:33:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10585557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghovls/pseuds/Ghovls
Summary: "But me? Well, of course I liked you." - Tiger's Jaw, I Saw Water





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write noctis and prompto being dorky skateboarders because I saw some artwork on tumblr (which I can't find anymore??) and I also think that something like this happens to everyone in highschool to some degree.
> 
> This is unbeta'd and I wrote it in like.. an hour.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at [mvgitek](http://mvgitek.tumblr.com/). I'd love to talk about fandom with more people.

“We've still got time, Noct. Iggy won't be out looking for you for like, another hour.”

Prompto coasted lazily on his board, two feet planted firmly on the grip. His gaze lingered on his phone's LED for a little while longer before he finally stuffed it in his back pocket, expertly maintaining his balance the entire time.

His best friend nodded, but glanced out at the darkening sky before dropping his board to the ground again. He wasn't exactly supposed to be out so late at night, especially with Prompto, not now that Gladio and Ignis had deemed him a bad influence. The prince was caught in between his rebellious phase and the consideration he harboured for his retainers turned friends. Gladio, the muscle and Ignis, the brains. Noctis didn't really get a kick out of disobeying their counsel, but he did like spending the warn summer evenings skateboarding with Prompto... among other things.

Wheels rolling over concrete caught his attention as Prompto picked up the pace again, the sound of his board clattering when he ollied up and onto the nearby rail, grinding along it with ease. Prompto was way better at this than Noctis, having been practising since he was little, but the prince had some of the basics down, he even did a proper kickflip once. Usually, he just liked to cruise, but more than anything he liked spending time with his friend.

Prompto's trucks scraped against metal and he dropped off the end of the rail with some difficulty, loosing his footing and stumbling off the board.

“Fuck,” Prompto exhaled, fumbling after the runaway deck, much to his chagrin.

Noctis let out a laugh, kicking up speed and turning in a tight circle around his friend. “Maybe if you didn't try to show off so much,” he teased.

Finally, Prompto slammed his foot down on the tail of his board and huffed, catching the nose in waiting fingers. The harsh white lights of Insomnia's street lamps were mostly obscured by the looming underpass, but Prompto could still make out Noctis' pale features anywhere. He'd first met the prince in elementary school, but had been shy, and less than confident about his appearance and weight. For years, he watched quietly and he practically schemed up ways to get Noct's attention, daydreamed of scenarios where they finally interacted-- it was pathetic really. It was only when he'd received a letter from Lady Lunafreya after finding her lost dog and caring for her, did he finally have the confidence to make a change. It was crazy to think that the words of a kind stranger all the way from Tennebrae would spur him, but the world worked in mysterious ways.

Now, the two of them were practically inseparable. On weekends they had an easy routine of junk food, video games at Nocts' apartment, skateboarding in the evenings, or the arcade if the weather was bad. Occasionally they went to parties put on at classmates houses, even if Noctis' entourage at the Citadel was less than happy about it. After the summer, they'd begin their final year of school together.

Prompto was happy with their simple routine. He wished for an endless summer.

“I'm only showing off for you,” Prompto fired back with a wink, trying not to put too much stock in the way Noctis recoiled and rolled his eyes, the red in his sharp cheeks obviously a trick of the (lack of) light.

Getting back on his board, Prompto began to coast again, the sound of bearings moving meaning that Noctis was right on his tail. “Let's hit the half pipe before we call it a night,” he suggested. “I'll film it.”

* * *

“Oh. Oh, shit. Oh--”

Prompto leapt from his board, ignoring as it rolled away and clacked against the pavement. Pain shot up his thighs as his kneecaps collided with concrete and he reached for Noctis with shaking hands. “H-hey, buddy. You okay?”

Noctis had fallen half way down the pipe, his board slipping out from beneath him and sending him tumbling like a rag doll. He'd come to a stop on the level ground, where Prompto had managed to drag his upper body close and get his head in his lap. The blond flinched while he watched the prince raise a hand to his forehead, groaning.

“Don't touch it, Noct!” Prompto hissed, panic rising in his voice. The sound of cars passing on the highway above them and the noise of a bustling city in the evening all drowned out by the hammering of his pulse in his ears. He was going to get the death penalty, the firing squad, the ultimate punishment for goading the Crown Prince of Lucis into something so stupid as skateboarding. “Oh, fuck. Whatdowedo?”

“Don't call Ignis,” Noctis moaned, tears stinging his eyes. “it's just a bump. Also... ahh, _fuck_ , quit _filming_ me.”

* * *

“It's not like I broke anything. Stop worrying.”

Prompto finally stopped fidgeting only when Noctis snapped at him. He took a seat on the bench beside the prince and passed him the bag of licorice. The two of them had found a nearby convenience store and Noctis was now holding an ice cold can of pop to his head while Prompto fed him sugary snacks. He hummed nervously, watching Noct in the shop's neon glow before he could feel his friend's annoyance practically radiating from him. Now, he forced himself to stare at the empty lot before them. The silence stretched, save for the crinkling of plastic and the sound of Noctis quietly chewing.

“I said stop worrying,” he said after a moment, leaning in and invading Prompto's personal space, reaching into his jacket pocket to fish for his phone. “I'm deleting that video,” he declared.

Prompto squirmed and tucked his phone out of reach, but managed to keep himself from spilling any of their candy. “No way, Noct. C'mon.”

“C'mon, what? I don't want you to have a video of me wiping out.”

“I'm not gonna show it to anyone.”

“That's not the point--”

“Noct, _c'mon_!”

There was something off in Prompto's tone of voice; his words much too heavy and desperate. His pleas made Noctis take pause and frown, retracting his reach. His head still pounded, and so he sat back and pressed the cool can to his skull once more. “It's just a video,” he mumbled, though there was some caution in his voice. “You already have so many, don't you? Pictures too.”

The blond huffed out a deep breath, turning away and thumbing the edge of his phone from where it stayed hidden inside the warmth of his pocket, protected by thick denim. “Noct.”

Noctis leaned forward a little, trying to meet Prompto's eyes. His friend's cheeks were puffed with breath he hadn't yet exhaled and his skin looked rosy even in the dim, buzzing yellow light.

“This is our last summer. We're gonna be finished school next year and then...”

The prince smiled a bit sadly. Although they'd never spoken about it openly, Noctis knew that Prompto had been dreading the end of their education. With this chapter of their lives closed, a new one would begin. Noctis would be spending more time at the Citadel, learning how to rule. Prompto would hopefully go on to pursue an interest, such as his photography, and eventually find his place.

“Hey,” Noctis cut in, reaching out again, but this time for his friend's hand. “I'm not going anywhere, and hopefully neither are you.”

Prompto did his best to hide his face between a thin fringe of blond. “Right,” he agreed, though he hardly sounded convinced. The sound of wheels rolling across concrete accentuated silence as Prompto rolled his board back and forth beneath his feet. His heart shrivelled. Noctis could say those words as many times as he wanted, but he couldn't change the root of things. He couldn't change how and where the two of them were born, their different stations in life.

Noctis studied Prompto's sullen face, moved in an unfamiliar way by his best friend's plight. He was perceptive enough to realize what this was really about. All these years, Prompto had been such an open book, whereas Noctis was more restrained with his expressions. Still, just because the prince didn't always convey his emotions, it didn't mean he lacked any, or felt any less.

“You're going to have to come out and say it,” Noctis spoke up, wanting to hear it. He moved the pop can from his forehead and placed it on the bench before shifting to better face Prompto. What he didn't expect was the choked sound from beside him, a quick shake of Prompto's head.

“I can't.” Prompto inhaled sharply, cutting off his sobbing and retreating further into himself, pressing his spine against the wooden slats. If he said it out loud, it would be real. If he told Noctis he loved him, he'd have to hear words of rejection. He couldn't bear it. Right now it would hurt, but he'd still have his photos, he'd still have his videos, his skateboard, this attachment to Noctis through other channels, material things that connected them. Even when Noctis became the king, Prompto would still have these things, and that would have to be enough. He wasn't deserving of any more than that anyway.

“If you don't, then you'll regret it.” Noctis moved to stand up, slightly disappointed that Prompto wasn't willing to make the leap, to see the worthiness in himself. He heaved a long, drawn out sigh and tried to ignore the pounding in his head. Instead, he offered a hand to Prompto. “Stay at my place tonight, at least. It's too late for you to walk home by yourself. I'll call Ignis to pick us up.”

Prompto straightened up, doing his best to compose himself. He scooped up his board, pocketed their leftover candy, and then grabbed Noctis' hand. He stood, threading his fingers with Noctis' and squeezing tightly, much to afraid to look his highness in the eye. Pathetically, he'd speak with expressions, with gestures. He'd pine through touch and minute expressions.

* * *

Ignis had left them alone for the night after dropping them off, as Noctis had done well to cover up his injury. Skateboards propped in the entrance way, shoes kicked carelessly onto the mat, coats flung onto the back of the couch, and two pairs of socked feet padding to Noctis' bedroom. The prince was rummaging through his wardrobe for something that Prompto could sleep in when he heard it. The confession was restless, quiet and quick, spoken from where Prompto hovered in the doorway.

“I love you, Noct.”

The prince grinned, getting to his feet and crossing the room. He pushed an old t-shirt and some sweatpants into Prompto's shaking hands and planted a kiss on the corner of his quivering lips.

“I know,” he murmured against flushed skin. “Love you, too.”

They'd work out the details in the morning.


End file.
